Eleven O'Clock News
by Lady Jane's Muse
Summary: Set after Nightshifter. Cassie watches TV. One shot


It had been a long day. While Cassie loved her job at the newspaper and couldn't imagine doing anything else, the night before their weekly publication went to print was always stressful and lasted long after their normal 5pm finish. All she wanted to do was collapse on the sofa and try to wind down.

Entering the apartment, she made her way to the living room where she could just about hear the echo of the television. Brian, her fiancé, was sat on the large sofa, beer in one hand, remote in the other, looking relaxed and content with the world. His laid back attitude to life was part of what attracted Cassie to him. It might not be the most exciting relationship in the world but Cassie knew there would be no drama, no ghosts going bump in the night, and if she could forget everything that had happened maybe one day she would start to feel normal again.

"Hey, babe. About time you got home. I was just about to send the search party out to get you." he joked as she entered the room, pulling off her coat and throwing her bag into the corner where it would stay until she left for work the following morning.

"Yeah, it's been a long day at the office," she replied as she sat down next to him, eyes automatically pulled towards the TV as if it had some gravitational effect, "Anything good on?" she asked, curling her feet under her and leaning into his shoulder.

"Nah, game just finished. Think the news will be starting soon." he replied, lifting his bottle while he draped am arm over the woman he considered to be 'the one'.

Cassie was exhausted and, as the anchorman for channel 4 started to drone on about economic policy, she could feel her eyelids starting to droop. As far as she was concerned she could stay in her current position, inhaling the familiar scent of his aftershave and feeling safe, for a lifetime.

She wasn't sure whether it was the first or second time that the she heard the name, that consciousness started to come back. She just knew that her sub-conscious had registered the name Dean Winchester and decided that it was time for the rest of her to wake up and pay attention. It had been over a year since she had seen him. Part of her knew that she would never see him again while another part yearned to be in his presence. The last place she expected to see those deep brown eyes again was on the eleven o'clock news. If she hadn't been listening to the commentary her first thought would have been that he still looked good but the words of the news reporter took her full attention

"_This is Regina Hall reporting for channel 4 news, outside of City Bank of Milwaukee where the 4 hour hostage situation finally ended earlier this evening. One of the bank robbers, Ronald Resnick of 54__th__ street, was killed at the scene along with 3 ,as yet, unnamed hostages while the ring leader, Dean Winchester, has escaped from the clutches of the FBI. Agent Hendrickson, is it true that you have been looking for Mr Winchester for quite some time?"_

"_It is true. Dean Winchester is wanted for questioning in relation to counts of murder in St. Louis and Baltimore. The suspect is to be considered armed and dangerous_. _We would advise members of the public to not approach the suspect but to be vigilant and report any sightings to the authorities_"

"Oh my god", shouted Cassie, sitting up straight for the first time since she arrived home. When she met Dean it was his 'rebel without a cause' attitude that first attracted her. She saw the dangerous glint in his eyes and she was excited by it but, in the short amount of time they spent together, she had worked through his layers. The rebel was intelligent and funny and fought for a cause she would never be able to begin understanding but he fought because he was good. The Dean Winchester she knew did not rob banks. He did not kill hostages and he did not commit murder. "Dean would never do that!"

"You know this guy?" Brian asked, "Christ, Girl! He sounds like one hell of a psycho. How the hell would you know a guy like him"

"I met him in Ohio just before I finished college. He's a great guy. He was really there for me when my Dad died." replied Cassie, not sure how to explain her relationship with Dean to the man she had agreed to spend the rest of her life with.

"Well, doesn't look like he's doing so great now, " Brian replied as he raised from the sofa, "I'm going to call it a night, got an early start in the morning. You coming to bed?"

"No, I think I might stay up a while," she replied getting another whiff of his aftershave as he got up, trying not to remind herself that it was the same as Dean had worn. She waited until Brian had retreated to the bedroom before she reached for her mobile. She needed to speak to Dean, needed to know that he was ok. Part of her was angry that she had let him go. If she hadn't have pushed him away, he would not be in trouble now. The more rational part of her knew that she would never have been able to hold onto to him. He lived for the mission and wouldn't know how to fit into normal society if he tried.

The sound of his voice as his phone went to voice messages momentarily lifted her spirits but when she heard the inevitable beep in her ear to tell her it was her time to speak she hung up. It didn't matter what kind of trouble Dean had gotten himself into. There was still no way she could leave a message saying 'I've settled for second best but I still love you and I hope you're ok'


End file.
